


The Hedgehog of the Streets

by PrincessPandaFanfiction



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Adulthood, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Normal Life, Anthropomorphic, Crimes & Criminals, Eventual Romance, F/M, Heterosexual Character, Implied Sexual Content, Interspecies Romance, Realistic, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-03-22
Packaged: 2019-10-13 16:07:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17491085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessPandaFanfiction/pseuds/PrincessPandaFanfiction
Summary: Blaze is an average city girl who is trying to live on her own and aspires to be a known actress one day. Shadow is a lone criminal who makes his living on thievery and graffiti in the urban streets of Solettle. One day, an incident breaks out, Shadow is there, and they are brought closer than ever.





	1. Solettle Girl

**Author's Note:**

> **BEFORE THE STORY**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Rated Teen and Up for depiction of crime (of course, fortunately no killing, just thieving and maybe some kidnapping), some violent moments, and mild sexual themes in later chapters. Recommended for 13 years or older, though younger ages can read if they can handle it.
> 
> Shadow the Hedgehog, Blaze the Cat, and everything canon in the Sonic the Hedgehog universe belong to SEGA (They're tolerant to fanwork, but let's play along with others and stay safe)
> 
> "The Hedgehog of the Streets" is also available on Fanfiction.Net (PrincessPandaFanfiction), DeviantArt (PrincessPandaArt), and Wattpad (PrincessPandaPad). Check it out over there!
> 
> "The Hedgehog of the Streets" takes place in an alternate universe where a majority of the Soni cast are in their early 20's, living their average lives in average cities. None of them have powers or fight robots, but some do have interesting characteristics. There will be nods to the Sonic mythos, though. I do have a main fan universe based on the games, which some of the later fanfics take place in.
> 
> This Shadaze AU shipfic is based on a 2-point perspective art project I had to do for school. I chose to do a drawing of a street corner displaying graffiti. I instantly got my idea. I drew Shadow caressing Blaze to come forward, with the corner of an empty building in front of them, covered with Shadow's graffiti of Shadow and Blaze having romantic moments together. (You'll see it later in this fic.) It was so romantic and heartwarming that I came up with a story behind it. I fantasized about it every day. Some parts made me smile. Some made me cry. I wanted to sit and write it down.
> 
> And I will tell you the story...

Blaze Sparks is my name. Making a living and acting is my game.

I'm a 20 year old cat who just graduated from college with an Associate's degree in acting and fine arts a few months ago. Now I'm on my own, living in a moderately-priced apartment in Solettle, the city I decided to move to. Unfortunately, all of the high-paying professional roles in Solettle productions are taken, so while acting in a small-scale play, I'm working at a gas station convenience store as well.

I step out of the bathtub all wet and steamy from the morning shower, dry my soaked lavender fur with a towel, slip into my underwear and everyday clothes that were laying on the toilet (A pink one-strap top and purple shorts), and go out of the bathroom and into the kitchen.

I greet my pet black cat, Ember, as I prepare my favorite breakfast of all time: Salmon burgers with a side of sprinkled donuts and a cup of bitter coffee. I pull last night's salmon burger from the microwave and sit down at the coffee table, licking my lips.

After munching through all of that goodness, it's time for me to go to the rehearsal. I grab my indigo leather handbag, wave goodbye to Ember, enter the hallway, and ride down the elevator to the garage, where my purple bicycle is waiting. Yes, I do own a driver's license, but I can't afford a car for now.

I ride my bike out of the garage and into the already bustling streets of Solettle. I pedal along with the cars and pedestrians furiously, trying to make it to the theater lying outside the skyscrapers. As I stop at the red traffic light at an intersection, I turn and something catches my sight.

Pinned on a storefront is a wanted poster with a scowling face of a young black hedgehog. It read:

WANTED

Shadow "The Hedgehog" Dark

Thief, graffiti artist, member of the Solettle Underground Crime Network

Has looted many businesses and vandalized buildings in Solettle

REWARD: $1,000

If you see him, please call the Solettle Police Department (1-555-199-128) IMMEDIATELY.

I've heard of the Solettle Underground Crime Network ever since I moved to Solettle. People identify them as notorious criminals who execute crimes from pickpocketing innocent people's bags and looting stores and banks of money and valuables to vandalizing important points of interest and even kidnapping children. Unfortunately, although the police have kept a strong watch on and educated the public about them (my handbag comes with several tricky locks), the criminals were cunningly skilled and could evade the police easily. If they were ever arrested, which happened a few times, they would escape prison and return to business again. Fortunately, for my body anyway, they were never confirmed to murder.

About that face on that poster, I gotta admit he looks like an average bad boy. He may be a sketchy thief, but his scowl, half-lidded eyes, and thick black-and-red quills can't fail to attract a girl.

The cars suddenly start to move, signaling the traffic light turned green. I look away from the poster and pedal forward once again, hoping to arrive at my destination in time.

At last, at the edge of the suburban area, I reach the Solettle Citizens' Dramatics Theater, a barebones small theater meant for amatuer plays and productions. I go inside and open the door to the backstage, where the play director, a teal dragonfly named Opal Shutter, is discussing the script with the actors.

We're performing a play called Aquaphobia. It's about a hedgehog, Ogilvie, who is afraid of water. He accidentally falls off a cliff into the ocean and encounters an underwater empire inhabited by various anthropomorphic ocean animals. They're evil and he must use all of his strength and wits to defeat them and return back to land. I find the story interesting, but the characters and their dialogue are mediocre in my opinion. The dark magenta hedgehog over there, Kriss Evans, is playing Ogilvie. I'm playing the Queen, who is meant to be an angelfish.

"We've started selling tickets yesterday," Opal announces, "and the sales have a chance of being high and steady. Now, chop chop! Today is our first rehearsal and we want to fully memorize our lines and movements before the final show."

We head in our normal plainclothes to the bare stage, each with copy of the script in our hands. For the most of the beginning, Kriss and the people playing as his family and friends are the only ones in front of the auditorium, as somber music play from the loudspeakers. When the underwater empire part starts, it gets exciting.

As tropical-sound music flow over the hundred velvet seats before the stage, many actors roll out, including me, the Queen of Pacifictopia. I sit in a tall wheeled chair besides the King of Pacifictopia, who is being played by Alexander Pond the frog.

"HOW DARE YOU TRESPASS ONTO THE EMPIRE OF PACIFICTOPIA?!" I boom into the ears of Kriss, reading off my lines. "WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO DO SO?!"

"M'am," Kriss pouts in the weakest voice, "I only fell into the water and came upon this Pacifictopia of yours-"

"SHALL THE SHARKS EAT YOU!" I snarl and point at Kriss. Puppeteers and their shark puppets dash in, chasing away a screaming Kriss.

"Shall he be ridded," I huff, sitting my script on my lap and wiping my lavender hands. Alexander turns to me and smiles.

After 2 hours (we had a 20 minute break complete with snacks), our first rehearsal went successfully and is now complete. Opal waves goodbye to us as we exit Solette Citizens' Dramatics Theater to the parking lot. I hop onto my bike and pedal away into the noisy streets of Solettle, ready to eat lunch and spend some spare time at my own apartment with my own Ember, before going out to work at the gas station for the afternoon.

Along the way, I suddenly reminisce of the wanted poster I saw earlier today. My head burns with thoughts of Shadow. The reward of $1000… How heavenly, as most of the wages I earn go to buying food and apartment rents. I can try to catch him, call the police, and win such fortune from them. What will I spend the $1000 on as Shadow is arrested and sent to jail? A video game console and a bunch of games will be a nice addition to a lame PC I keep and play lame web games on. Or, an expensive airplane ticket to the most lavish and luxurious resort will be splendid also. Or, I shall save the $1000 for anything crucial in the future.

I catch sight of another Shadow wanted poster hastily taped onto an electrical wire pole. I stop my bike, tore the poster off, fold and tuck it into my handbag, and continue my trip back.

Back at my apartment, I mix my favorite instant ramen (red hot spicy shrimp) and lay back on the couch in the small living room, cuddling Ember, as the ramen heats and sizzles in the microwave. I can dream about spending my $1000 on my wishes, but first, how can I catch that black hedgehog criminal?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, please make sure to bookmark, kudos, and comment on this story! It will help encourage me to write more chapters. :)


	2. Blaze Ablaze

It's been a few boring days already and the next rehearsal will be tomorrow. Working at the gas station store was usual, with me sitting behind the cash register, listening to the mainstream pop radio, and chatting with my co-workers. Now I'm at the local grocery store, pushing a shopping cart around with a severely wrinkled piece of notebook paper in my hand. I'm running low on food and other necessities, so I need to spend my savings on the items I've scribbled onto my grocery list.

"I need milk, yogurt, and eggs.." I mumble to myself as I walk to the dairy aisle. I stumble over to the shelves where various yogurt packs rest, and I'm about to reach for a pack of lemon cheesecake-flavored yogurt, my favorite, until something catches my eye.

Over at where jugs and cartons of milk stand, an arm stuck out from under the counter, its furry white-gloved hand groping in the air. Whose arm is it? What is it trying to get?

I keep staring. Just then, a lean figure crawls out, wearing a white hoodie, gray jeans, and white sneakers. His head and face are entirely covered with the hood. He stands up, snatches a gallon of whole milk, and ducks back underneath again.

Who could that shoplifting thief be? Shadow Dark?! Another member of the Solettle Underground Crime Network? Just a homeless man? Hoping he's Shadow and pulling my phone out, in case I will need to call, I park my cart near the milk and walk over to where the figure hid. As I kneel down to get a look, he reaches his arm out again, covers my eyes, and pushes me away gently. He doesn't want to be seen.

Forget it. I return back to my cart and continue my shopping as I tread to the deli. As I walk near the grill, where various products are being heated, I can smell the mouth-watering fried chicken, freshly-cooked pizza, mashed potatoes, macaroni, and... smoke?!

A small flame is poking out from the grill, and then larger flames burst out like water. One latches onto my left arm and I screech in agony, feeling painful stinging consuming my skin.

"Help! HELP!" I cry at the top of my lungs as I wave and spin around. I throw my handbag yards away in panic. Fire alarms pinned onto walls flash blinding white lights and blair high-pitched shrills louder than my cries. The flame spread to my shirt and scream even louder to a deli cook duck trying to open the fire extinguisher box, hoping that I will not burn to my grave. Other shoppers panic and stampede to the exit, shamefully ignoring my situation.

Suddenly, milk showers over me, cooling and sending the burning sensation away. Disoriented, I lean back and fall, not minding the relieving spraying of the fire extinguisher nearby. Arms of another one catch me. I turn and discover the hooded figure I saw earlier. He holds me up with his strength and carries me bridal style to the nearest emergency exit swiftly as a hare.

The dark of the night and the faint red glow of the setting sun covers us as he shuts the door, blocking the bright white lights behind us. He lowers my body, tired and faint from the burns that paints my skin red and bubbled, to the rough concrete besides the brick wall. Yawning, the figure pulls of his hood to reveal his head- Shadow Dark?!

He stands before and looks at me with his signature scowl, blood red eyes, and tangled black fur blowing in the breeze. However, his quills were gone, leaving his head completely round. I look down to my top, half of it burned off, and blush in embarrassment at the sight of my now exposed pink bra.

"Shadow," I murmur, "what happened to your-"

"Oh, don't worry about it," he replies as he takes off his white hoodie, revealing a white tank top underneath, and picks up his black hoodie lying on the closed dumpster. "My friend had to cut them off so I don't get caught too often while stealing. They'll grow back within a month. Now, young lady, you seem badly hurt. Try to get to the 'medics in front of this store. And don't tell them that I was the one that saved you." His voice is deep and rough, fitting his dark look.

"But, why did you save me?"

Shadow didn't answer. He's too busy changing into his black jeans and black sneakers. I weakedily stand up and limp slowly away, as he grabs his black plastic bag and sits on his black bicycle, ready to head back into the city.

I approach one of the ambulances among a crowd of cars and people in front of the grocery store, as whirring screeches of the sirens fly overhead. A green paramedic iguana notices me, "Oh dear.."-he turns to the other paramedics-"We have an injured woman here!"

A gray pigeon and a scarlet red hyena rush toward me with a blue stretcher, lifted me into the air, and finally set and strap me onto the stretcher. I can finally rest in the ambulance, waiting to be sent to the emergency room.

As the paramedics shut the door in front of me, I toss and turn, gazing at the various spaceship-like electronics and medical equipment, and close my eyes, ready to sleep for the night. I may spend a few days at the hospital and miss the second rehearsal of Aquaphobia, but I'll be well and healed by then.

I still have to wonder: Why did Shadow save me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (This story was updated on Fanfiction.Net a few days ago. Sorry for delaying the update here!)
> 
> (It's awkward for a teenager to write about young adults' lives, right? I'll try.)
> 
> Yeah, this chapter was short because it's meant to accompany a short yet really important scene that was mentioned in the summary. Hopefully, the later chapters will increase in word count.
> 
> NOTE: I may have to delay the next chapter so I can focus on my collaboration with DamonFTiger on his story, "PLAYBOY". Check it out on Fanfiction.Net and Wattpad if you want!
> 
> Like always, favorite and comment on this story! Doing this encourages me to write more chapters.


	3. Shadow Again

I open my wrinkled eyes in the sunlight peeking from the window. I lay in a plain white hospital bed, wearing a pale blue hospital gown and having my long lavender hair hugging my shoulders. On the white nightstand nearby sit several wrapped gifts and "Get Well" cards from my friends and family, a glass of water prepared last night, a few latest issues of my favorite fashion magazine, Fur, and my beloved handbag that was retrieved from the grocery store that evening.

Speaking of family, I got a call from my parents two days ago that they bought a house in one of Solette's suburban neighborhoods and were moving there in a week, along with my younger teenage sister and my brother.

Anyway, if you were wondering about my burns, they're apparently second-degree, looking like scarlet red blotches on my skin and once carrying large yellow blisters. The doctors did a good job smothering them with anti-bacterial cream and patching them up with white bandages and gauze, dressing me up like a mummy. I was injected a tetanus shot in case the burns let in a bacterial infection. Oh, and some of my long hair was burned off, leaving cringeworthy strands doused in black. Today is the third and last day of my stay at the Solettle Central Hospital, as I'm nearly ready to jump up and release all of the energy stored in my muscles.

Bummer that I missed the second Aquaphobia rehearsal 2 days ago. Opal visited me yesterday and told that I can catch up with the third rehearsal in the next week, so good.

I sit up on the mattress, stretch my arms, and yawn, just as a nurse tortoise enter my room holding a platter of blueberry pancakes drizzled in maple syrup, a small bowl of scrambled eggs, and a glass of orange juice. An okay hospital breakfast, but not as delicious as those salmon burgers, donuts, lemon granola bars, tater tots, coffee, and apple juice I miss from my apartment home. I turn on the TV to a local news channel and sit up, preparing to break my fast.

After gobbling all of the pancakes and scrambled eggs and rinsing my throat with orange juice, leaving only crumbs and stains on my silverware, I lay my tray on the nightstand and reach for the latest issue of Fur, showing off an attractive young blue jay (ironic) with an ideal hourglass body and wearing a skimpy indigo bikini. Knowing that it must be the annual swimsuit issue, I flip through the glossy pages and stare at pictures of voluptuous women wearing such revealing bikinis. Though I own a purple bikini that I loved to show off at college, I wish I also had one of those fashionable two-pieces shown in the magazine.

Bored, I put my magazine aside, drink a few sips of water, and grasp my first present: A small box covered up in metallic lilac paper and addressed from my mother. I slowly tear away the paper, reveal a crimson leather box with a golden Aubade Jewels logo, and open it. Inside was a beautiful golden stringed necklace, attached to smell pendant made out of real gold and donning a polished and cut amethyst. I hold it up high and slip it around my neck, twinkling. I cannot believe my mother spent that much money for me, probably as a gift to start my Solettle life. I feel like a princess for once, waiting for a Solettle Underground Crime Network thief to try to snap it off and run away with it.

"Patients cannot wear jewelry," an anteater nurse comes into my room. Interrupted, I pull the necklace off, stuff it back into the box where it belongs, and place the box onto the nightstand.

"I'm just checking if you're okay," the nurse assures me. She lifts up my blanket and dress and gazes at my bandaged abdomen, left arm, and left thigh. "You're definitely okay! No problems. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Nothing," I smile.

She smiles back and leaves the room, "Have a nice day."

I plop myself off the bed and stand on the floor. My burns sting a bit and my body wobbles, still sore and fatigued. I tread slowly to the bathroom just next to the hospital bed to brush my teeth (I forgot) and do my business.

Back at laying on the bed, I pick up, unzip, reach into my handbag, and fish out Shadow's Wanted poster I snatched a week ago. I study the detail of Shadow's rough black and red fur covering his thick quills (albeit he cut the quills off), and then read the same reward I had dreamed of, printed in bold text: "REWARD: $1000".

I reminisce of the night I caught Shadow attempting to steal milk from the grocery store, the night I was about to call the police, the night I got swept up in that hellish deli fire, the night Shadow spilled milk all over me just to extinguish the flames, the night Shadow carried me in his arms to the emergency exit amid the panic, the night Shadow revealed himself to me.

I still was pondering this over my hospital say: Why did Shadow save me? Wasn't Shadow supposed to be a passionate thief who only cared about himself, his stealth, his steals, and his graffiti? Should I care about the reward money promised by the Solettle Police Department or his…

MORALS?!

Or nothing related to Shadow at all?

The next day comes and I can finally leave the hospital, yet my body still aches a bit. My hair is still down, for I like it that way. I'm dressed in a replacement of my normal attire, in which most of it got burned off, and of course, wearing that beautiful necklace. My best friend that I've made in Solettle, Marine Stowaway the Racoon, has arrived to the hospital and is now helping me gather my belongings and bring them to her car. She's 17, but acts like an independent adult.

"Got your Matilda ready, mate?" Marine asks, tugging one of my two purple suitcases which hold all my gifts and some of my necessities. Her Outbackan dialect (she grew up in Outbacka) is interesting to hear.

"Yes, mate," I respond, holding my handbag and the other suitcase. I learned some Outbackan slang from her, but they're quite hard to use.

She notices the golden necklace hanging around my petite neck, "Wow, that necklace is beautiful!"-I nod in agreement-"Well… Ace! Off to the car." Marine began to exit the room. I follow her down the hallway, minding the other patients and personnel, down three floors by elevator, through the first floor, and eventually to the parking lot, where Marine's oak brown sedan is waiting. Her mother works in high-paying jobs, so her parents were able to provide her a car.

I swing the door open and step into the front passenger seat while Marine lifts the trunk open and shoves the suitcases instead. She then enters the driver seat, turns the key, and starts the engine. We ride through the familiar streets of Solettle, listening to sappy pop hits playing from the radio and occasionally talking to each other about mundane subjects.

After stopping at an intersection by a traffic light, I turn to my right and see yet another wanted poster of Shadow. Woo, finally an interesting subject to talk about!

"Marine," I mew enthusiastically, "I forgot to mention this to you. Have you heard of Shadow Dark, the Solettle Under-"

"Yes!" Marine hollered in her thickest Outbackan accent. "My colleagues at the mall keep chattin' about him all the time! The mall's trying to deal with the outbreak of theft by the SUCN, from hiring top-class security guards to shielding the security computers." Marine works as a cashier at one of the department stores at the Solettle Mall during the weekdays.

"But did I mention that he-he saved me?!"

Marine just stares at me. Only the radio was making any sound.

She breaks the silence, "Crikey! A thief put the stop to the red flower that almost ate you? What a heroic act! I suspected the SUCN aren't that villainous, or else they'll be everywhere on the national news."

"Could be," I look away from Marine and quietly purr under my breath.

At last, we reach the Windmill Breeze apartment buildings and Marine parks at building 5, where my apartment is located. She jumps out, races to back of her car, and begins unloading my sedan, before I walk out, stand up, and stretch my lavender arms into the gentle fall breeze. I grab my suitcase and start strolling along the sidewalk, happy to see the young fruit trees and myriad of flowers that adorn the Windmill Breeze apartments.

"Alrighy, here's your swag," Marine, accompanying me in front of my apartment door, lets go of the other suitcase. I pull the key out of my handbag, open the door, and hoist my luggage in. Ember, who was waiting in there for three days straight, instantly catches sight of me, lets out his signature deep purr, scampers over to the doorway, and rubs his back against my legs. I love it when he does that.

"May I stay with you for a while?" Marine asks, still standing at the door. "It's Saturday and my parents say I can, before I have to go to my weekly Horror Club meeting."

I gesture her to come forward, "Sure, why not?"

We spend the morning in my medium, one-"everyroom" apartment doing fun activities. First off, we watch the cable TV channels that the apartment fortunately comes packed with. Marine told me that she prefers adventure teen shows, so we watch a channel airing those. Second, I pull out an old board game from a kitchen cabinet and we play several rounds in the living room. Marine has reached the ending first and beat me seven times in a row, already.

Third, it's time for lunch. Marine's favorite foods are a bowl of rice soaked with meat sauce and topped with lettuce and lamb chops, salmon fillet, Granny Smith apples, and lime-flavored sparkling water. Luckily, I have some of those in my fridge, and she even helps me prepare and cook! We eat at the kitchen table a fine lunch of rice, lamb chops, steamed salmon, lettuce salad, and lime-flavored sparkling water.

It's now time for me to head to the gas station for work and Marine to attend the Horror Club meeting.

"Bye!" I meow at Marine as she heads for the stairs to the front parking lot.

"Bye!" she hollers back in the distance.

I ride the elevator to the garage and find my bicycle waiting at the usual old spot. Like every car, every bicycle used for daily transport is identified by number and owner under Solettle law, so the Solettle Police Department supposedly found my bike stranded in the parking lot and returned it to the Windmill Breeze garage. I hop on it and pedal my route to the Wheelway Gas Station just at the edge of the main Solettle highway.

Evening arrives, the sun hides away, and the sky darkens to near black. That gas station shift was usual, I did a good business of serving chicken legs and cardboard-flavored pizza, and one of my co-workers complimented my proud necklace. I slowly coast my bike along the still busy traffic, yellow flickers of the tall street lamps, and glows of the nearby windows. I turn at an intersection and leave the pack behind, strolling through an empty street, where only trees and poor businesses accompany me.

I hear a rustle. My ears twitch.

It's nothing. I keep on going.

I hear another rustle. My ears twitch again. This time, it's louder.

Eh, maybe coincidence. I keep on going.

I hear even another rustle. My ears twitch once again. This time, it's even louder.

I slam on the brakes and press my feet against the road. The rustles must be calling for me. I turn to the nearby bushes and find some of them jittering. Suddenly, a figure, hidden in a black hoodie, stands up from the bushes and gestures towards me.

Who is that hooded fig- Is that Shadow?!

I kick the stand, leap off my bike, and hurry toward the figure, breathless. I collide into the bushes and meet eye-to-eye with the figure's concealed face. He pulls the hole of the hood and lifts it off his head, unveiling his tan muzzle, big slanted eyes, dry black and red fur, slivers of quill-

He is indeed Shadow the Hedgehog.

We are alone, standing together in the ticklish bushes. The only things watching us are the wind lightly blowing through our fur and the city lights from over the yonder.

I reach into my purse for my phone on instinct, remembering the wanted poster of him. This is my chance to catch, turn him in to the police, and win my $1000. Or is it? I pull my empty hand out instead. He's just standing there, innocently and calmly.

I stare into his cold eyes and whisper, "So you were the one who saved me from my death by fire days ago?"

Shadow nods.

"Then, why did you save me?"

Shadow hesitates. He looks back at the ancient oak tree behind him, then turns back to me and answers, "Even though we break the law, we run from the police…"

I wait.

"We must do heroic acts once in a while, like help others secretly. This is how we the Solettle Underground Crime Network live in harmony with Solettle. If all we did were commit hellish acts, we would all be locked up in the maximum security prison."

I look up into his red eyes and purr, "I knew it. But why did you decide to find and meet me again? Could've you not care about me and continue on with your thievery?"

Shadow's eyes droop. He hesitates again, and then stutters, "I-I-I d-don't know. You.. l-look interesting."

I spit in disgust, "You want my lust?-"

He grabs my shoulder, "No! I was honest. You just look interesting. You're an interesting young lady. You're not like the ones I've assisted in the past. Plus, you seem to be curious about me."

My eyes enlarge and slightly water. I whisper, "Really."

His eyes slip to the golden necklace around my neck and he reaches out to hold it. I instantly guard it with my curled fists, "Hey, you're not going to steal my mother's gift, right?"

"Of course not," he assures, "I don't steal from those I've helped. That would be betrayal." I release my fists and let Shadow cradle the amethyst pendant in his palm. He smiles, "Purply beautiful as purply you."

He lets go of my necklace and sighs, "Because you're interested in me and my crimes, why don't you come with me and visit the SUCN for yourself?"

He seems friendly to me. I slowly nod in eagerness. Shadow, without a response, rushes towards the small brick-and-mortar building behind the oak tree and hauls his black bicycle out from the left side. He then hollers to my face, "Get your bike and follow me!"

Obeying, I leave the bushes for once and grab and tug my purple bike over pavement and grass to where Shadow is waiting. He shifts his bike to the dirt pavement left of the building and begins turning his wheels. I do so too and go after him. It's just us two riding our bikes on the lonely, thin, dark-coated streets of Solettle. I can't wait to see what the Solettle Underground Crime Network is like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Again, it's awkward for a teenager to be writing about adults out of school, right? I'll try my best anyway.)
> 
> Sorry for the month-long wait! I have other things in life to do, such as school, and it takes time to write a good piece. But thanks always for being patient.
> 
> I wasn't clear on some details in the previous chapters, but this fanfic is cross-platform and it would be hard to edit and ensure that they'll be on all sites, so I've provided them in this chapter.
> 
> Like always, favorite, follow, and review this story! Doing so encourages me to write more chapters.


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